


The Day It Fell (Reunion)

by Jen425



Series: Choices Never Disappear [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Introspection, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-10 08:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425
Summary: Almost ten years after the Republic falls, a Captain and a Commander reunite.From the shadows, their General watches.





	The Day It Fell (Reunion)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Redrikki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redrikki/gifts).



> Okay, so this WAS going to be a series of Cannon Compliant pieces from each character’s POV, but it ended up being 70% introspective, 10% Rex and Ahsoka reunion, and 20% Anakin-centric angsty fix-it derailing my actual plan (which actually happens to me a lot).
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy! You wrote one of my favorite fics.

CT-7567, more commonly known as Captain Rex, remembers well the day the Republic fell. He had been on Mandalore, with the Commander (no matter what she officially had been, Commander Tano would always be his Commander, always be a member of the 501st). General Skywalker had been where he always was, saving the Galaxy. His General had just killed Dooku, and been relegated on Coruscant for the next month and a half, doing… well, from Commander Tano’s description of the one private holo the General had managed to talk to her in, he had apparently been doing “political bantha kark for the kriffing Council”.

And then…

Order 66.

For her own safety (because he’s still just a clone, and his job is still to protect his Jedi, the reckless di’kute), he’d been forced to separate from the Commander.

He doesn’t want to think about where the General might be.

(“I’m just glad you got it out,” Cody had confessed to him after Rex had rescued his idiot of a brother. He’d tried, so hard, to warn the people he could trust, but Cody hadn’t had time, too worried about making sure General Kenobi took care of himself (and, honestly, their Generals really has both been terrible at taking care of themselves).

Ironic, really, in a heartbreaking way.)

A Jedi had, apparently, killed Senator Amidala. Rex is honestly far more convinced that it was Darth Vader who has done it, the mysterious enforcer of the Empire that had vanished as unexplainably as he came, about three years after the Empire had risen.

Funny, it was only about a month after that that someone had found him, helped him free everyone he could trust.

(So many who have chosen to stay behind, spies on the inside that Rex will worry for every day.)

And, recently…

“Rex,” the Commander says calmly, very clearly not a little one any longer. Rex smiles.

“Commander,” he says. “It’s good to see you.”

 

Ahsoka Tano remembers when the Republic fell, as well. She had been on Mandalore, finally back with her men. Anakin and Obi-Wan had rushed off to save the Chancellor, and she had only had the chance to see her former Master again one last time, on a holo.

(Honestly, the Council shouldn’t have put him in a position to betray a friend. How hard must it be for Anakin, Wherever he is, now, to know that they were right?)

Then Order 66 has come. She had had no way of knowing, already… already gone when Fives had discovered the truth.

The Vod’e had still considered her a Jedi, and, if it weren’t for Rex, that could have gotten her killed.

They had split up, forced to leave a part of themselves behind (though Rex had apparently gotten his back, and Ahsoka herself has… perhaps something better.)

She’d had… plenty of new adventures, such as the one that had landed her the most core components of the weapons at her sides, left some people behind…

(And to this day, she wonders. Where is Anakin? He can’t be dead, she can still feel him, but their bond is still perfectly blank.

Well, not perfectly, his side still aches with unbelievable sorrow.

And Artoo’s new partner, the person who sent her here is… definitely a mystery.)

And, now, here they were.

They fill each other in on the basics. Ahsoka’s glad she hasn’t lost every brother, at least. There’s… the 501st had fit her Master to a tee. Most of them are either active rebels or spies, but too much organized rebellion is still… dangerous.

She understands why Bail has kept so much from her.

“I’ve missed you, Rexter,” she says, hugging one of her oldest friends. Empire Day is a month and a half away, and it’s going to be a big one.

Ten years…

Rex smiles.

“You too, Commander Tano,” he says as they pull apart. Ahsoka pouts, though she doubts that it’ll be as effective as it had been ten years ago.

“Rex, call me Ahsoka,” she says, putting her hands on her hips. “I haven’t been a Commander in eleven years.”

Rex just shakes his head.

“No can do, Commander,” he says. Ahsoka sighs, but what more can she do?

“It’s good to have you back,” she says. Rex smiles.

“You too, kid,” he says. “And don’t you dare think I’m leaving you alone again.”

Ahsoka laughs.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she says.

And they smile, and they laugh, and they catch up even more.

It’s good to have him back.

(She still misses the rest of their team. Obi-Wan and Anakin and Padme… at least she knows Obi-Wan and Anakin are alive.)

(They will miss the familiar droid in the crowd, and the familiar figure the droid stands by.

“[Do not worry, Anakin-Skywalker,]” the droid will say. “[CT-7567 and Ahsoka-Snips will be okay. Are you going to talk to them?]”

The figure will just shake their head, scarred face sad beneath his hood.

“I can’t, Artoo,” they will say. “It’s enough to see them together again… but I’ll never deserve to speak to them.”

The droid will only beep sadly, and the two of them will walk away.)

 

Anakin Skywalker… really wishes he could forget the day the Republic fell.

The day _he_ Fell.

He remembers bowing down at Sidious’ feet, storming the Temple. He can remember the face and name of every Jedi he’d killed.

(“Master Skywalker, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?”

Deak Starkiller.

Perhaps one of the voices that haunt him the most.)

And he remembers Mustafar.

Fragments, really, but burned into his mind at the same time. (The Dark Side does that, when you first Fall.) Padme. Obi-Wan. Words he can’t believe that he said.

The fight.

Burning.

It’s a shiver at just the thought, Obi-Wan leaving him to burn, clawing himself from the flames.

And pain, unbelievable pain.

A pain that still hasn’t ever completely gone away.

Waking up, discovering he’d killed her.

Unbridled despair as he realizes he has nothing left.

Over three years as Darth Vader, surviving on nothing but his own self hatred.

Meeting Leia.

Artoo.

Faking his death, and the pain of removing every bit of Sidious’ control in all of a millisecond.

Joining the Rebellion, Artoo the only one by his side. (Nobody, not one, knowing who he actually is though he wonders who might be suspicious of the droid at his side.)

Watching over everyone he had failed.

Giving Rex the help he needs for his brothers, passing tips to Bail to give to Ahsoka that only she could understand. Leia, on Alderaan. Obi-Wan and Luke, on Tatooine.

He wishes he could work up the courage to speak to Obi-Wan, to apologize. Not for the sake of forgiveness, no, but so that Obi-Wan can stop blaming himself. Everyone thinks that Vader (and, therefore, himself) is dead, so Anakin can see Obi-Wan’s mind very clearly, when he’s on Tatooine.

Nothing he did was Obi-Wan’s fault.

And, yes, Anakin will freely admit it, he’s lonely. As much as he loves Artoo, he’s lonely.

(Obi-Wan, always there when he needed it, a shoulder to cry on even as his Master was mourning as well, Ahsoka on top of the duchess…

And Padme, the love of his life. He still… he destroyed her. In Obi-Wan’s memory, a Darkness sapping her life away… and he shouldn’t have been able to survive Mustafar. Yes, the Dark Side could preserve life… but only at the cost of another life.)

Ahsoka and Rex don’t have to be lonely, though.

(And, hey, if there are tears in his eyes as he walks away, there’s nobody there to see.)

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, yeah. This feels a little jilted, but, hey, I hope you liked it!


End file.
